IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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A* 


4is 


4^ 


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1.0 


I.I 


■22 


CI  IM 


L25  III  1.4 


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Sciences 
Corporalion 


23  WBT  MAIN  STMIT 

WtBSTn,N.Y.  14510 

(716)  172^303 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  institute  for  Hittoricai  Microreproductiont  /  institut  Canadian  de  microraproductions  historiquas 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquaa  at  bibliographiquaa 


Tha  inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturan  of  thla 
copy  which  may  Im  bibliographically  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
reproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  change 
the  uaual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


0 


D 


D 


D 


D 


Coloured  covera/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I     I   Covera  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag^a 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  peilicuMe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I     I   Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  gtegraphiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encra  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


□   Coloured  piatea  and/or  iliuatrationa/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

0    Bound  with  other  material/ 
RelM  avac  d'autres  documents 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrie  peut  cauaar  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
diatortion  le  long  de  la  marge  IntArieure 

Blank  l^jvaa  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  poaaible.  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanchea  ajouttea 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dana  la  taxte, 
mala,  lorsque  cela  Atait  poaaible,  cea  pagea  n'ont 
pea  it6  filmtea. 

Additional  commanta:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmantairas: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  la  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  itA  poaaible  de  aa  procurer.  Lea  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  aont  paut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dana  la  m4thode  normala  de  f ilmage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 


I     I  Coloured  pagea/ 


D 


Pagea  de  couleur 

Pagea  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtea 


□   Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurtea  et/ou  pellicultea 


Pagea  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dAcolorAes,  tachaties  ou  piquAas 


I     I   Pagea  detached/ 


Pagea  d^tachies 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  InAgala  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  material  suppMmantaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 


r^  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

r~n  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Pagea  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
alipa,  tiaauaa,  etc.,  have  b^an  refilmed  to 
enaura  the  beat  possible  image/ 
Lea  pages  totalement  ou  partieiiement 
obacurcias  par  un  fauiliet  d 'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  M  iilmtes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtanir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Tl 
to 


Tl 

P< 
o1 
fil 


O 
bi 
th 

Sii 

ol 
fil 
sii 

Ol 


Tl 

sr 

Tl 
w 

M 
dl 
er 
bi 

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re 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  eat  fllmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci'dosaoua. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


28X 


30X 


7 

12X 


16X 


2DX 


a4X 


2tX 


32X 


The  copy  filmad  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAnArosit*  de: 

BibilothAque  nationaie  du  Canada 


The  Images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  <-^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  Images  suivantes  ont  «tA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  I'exempialre  fiimA,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  filmte  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  commen9ant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminjnt  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  Included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  f  ilm6  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  has,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Images  nteessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


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2 

3 

4 

5 

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LOST  TRIBES  OF  ISRAEL. 


DELlVKHEl)    llEEOUE    fuE 


MKRCANT  LK  LlJillARV  ASSOCIATION, 


<'I,l.\TO\  IIAIJ, 


BY    M.    M.    NOAH.' 


N  i:  W  -YORK  : 
JAMES    VAN    N  O  R  D  E  N  . 

N(i.  'JT  I'iiio  street. 

1837. 


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BEING  THE  DESCENDANTS 


OK  THE 


LOST  TRIBES  OF  ISRAEL. 


DEI.IVF.REl)   HKFOIIE  THK 


MERCANTILE  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION, 


CLINTON  IIAUi. 


BY    M.   M.   NOAH. 


NEW-YORK  : 
JAMES    VAN    NORDEN, 

No.  i!7  Piiic-strcm. 

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Those  who  study  the  Scriptures,  either  as  a  matter  of  duty 
or  pleasure — who  seek  in  them  divine  revelations,  or  search  for 
the  records  of  history,  cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  the 
Jewish  nation,  at  an  early  period,  was  divided  into  twelve 
tribes,  and  occupied  their  ancient  heritage  under  geographical 
divisions,  during  the  most  splendid  periods  under  the  kingdoms 
of  Judah  and  of  Israel. 

Their  early  history— the  rise,  progress  and  downfall  of  the 
nation — the  proud  distinction  of  being  the  chosen  people — their 
laws,  government  and  wars— their  sovereigns,  judges  and 
temples — their  sufferings,  dispersions,  and  the  various  prophe- 
cies  concerning  this  ancient  and  extraordinary  people,  cannot 
be  unknown  to  you  all.  For  their  history  is  the  foundation  of 
religion,  their  vicissitudes  the  result  of  prophecy,  their  restora- 
tion the  fulfilment  of  that  great  promise  made  to  the  Patrir  r.  1;^ 
Abraham,  almost  I  may  say  in  the  infancy  of  nature. 

It  is  also  known  to  you  that  the  Jewish  nation  was  finally 
overpowered,  and  nine  and  a  half  of  the  tribes  were  carried 
captives  to  Samaria  ;  two  and  a  half,  to  wit :  Judah,  Benjamij^ 
and  half  Menassah,  remained  in  Judea  or  in  the  transjordani*? 
cities. 

The  question  before  us  for  consideration  is,  what  has  become 
of  the  missing  or  dispersed  tribes— to  what  quarter  of  the  world 


(lid  they  direct  tlicir  footsteps,  and  what  arc  the  evidences  of 
their  exisitcnce  jit  this  day  1 

An  oarlh(|nake  may  shalvo  and  overtnrn  the  fonndations  of  a 
city — llie  avulanchi!  may  ovt'iwhchn  the  handct — and  the  cra- 
ter of  a  volcano  may  j)our  its  lava  ov»m'  fcrtih;  [ihiins  and  popu- 
h)iis  viUaircs,  hut  a  whoUi  nation  cannot  vanish  from  the  sight 
of  the  worhl,  without  Icavinjjf  sonje  traces  of  its  existence, 
Bonie  marks  of  habits  and  cu:5toms. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  history  is  exceedingly  confused,  or 
rather  I  may  say  dark,  respecting  the  ultimate  dispersion  of  the 
tribes  among  the  cities  of  the  Modes.  The  last  notice  we  have 
of  them  is  from  the  second  Hook  of  Esdras,  which  runs  thus. 

*'  Whereas  thou  sawest  another  peaceable  multitude  :  these 
are  the  ten  tribes  which  were  carried  away  prisoners  out  of  their 
own  land  in  the  time  of  Osea,  whom  Salmanazar  King  of  As- 
syria led  away  captive,  and  he  carried  them  over  the  waters,  so 
they  came  unto  another  land." 

"  They  took  this  counsel  among  themselves  tluit  they  would 
leave  the  multitude  of  the  heathen,  and  go  into  a  further  country 
wherein  ntver  mankind  dwelt,  that  they  might  there  keep  their 
statutes,  which  they  never  kept  in  their  owri  land,  (Assyria,) 
and  there  was  a  great  way  to  go,  namely  a  year  and  a  half." 

Esdras,  however,  has  been  deemed  apochryphal.  Much 
has  been  said  concerning  the  doubtful  character  of  that 
writer.  lie  wrote  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  Tertulian,  St.  Ircneus,  Clemens  Alexandrius,  Pico  de  Mi- 
randola,  and  many  learned  and  pious  men,  had  great  confidence 
in  his  writings.  Part  of  them  have  been  adopted  by  Protes- 
tants, and  all  considered  orthodox  by  Catholics.  With  all  his 
old  Jewish  attachments  to  the  prophecies  and  traditions,  Esdras 
was  nevertheless  a  convert  to  Christianity.  He  was  not  an  in- 
ppired  writer  or  n  prophet,  jdthough  he  assumed  to  be  one,  and 


:l 


foUowetl  Ihc  cour«  ns  well  as  the  manner  of  Daniel.  The 
Book  of  Esichaa,  liowevcr,  ih  of  great  antuiuity,  and  as  an  his- 
torical record  is  douhtlcss  entitled  to  great  rc.sj)fict. 

The  precise  number  whicli  left  Huhylou  and  other  cities,  and 
took  to  the  desert,  cannot  be  accurately  known  ;  but  they  were 
exceedingly  numerous,  for  the  edict  of  Ahasherus?,  which  de- 
creed their  destruction,  embraced  127  provinces,  and  reached 
from  Ethiopia  to  the  Indies.  Benjamin  of  Tudcla,  who  travelled 
in  the  eleventh  century  through  Persia,  mentions  that  in  some 
of  the  provinces  at  the  time  of  ihat  decree,  the  Jews  occupied 
40  cities,  200  boroughs,  100  castles,  which  contained  300,000 
people.  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  300,000  of  the  tribes  left 
Persia. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  in  the  march  from  the  Euphrates  to  the 
north-cast  coast  of  Asia,  many  of  the  tribes  hesitated  in  pursu- 
ing the  journey  :  some  remained  in  Tartary,  many  went  into 
China.  Alvarez  states  in  his  History  of  China,  that  the  Jews 
had  been  living  in  that  kingdom  for  more  than  GOO  years.  He 
might  with  greater  probability  have  said  IGOO  years.  He  speaks 
of  their  being  very  numerous  in  some  of  the  provinces,  and 
having  synagogues  in  many  of  the  great  cities,  especially  in  that 
of  Hinan  and  in  its  metropolis  Kai-tong-fu,  where  he  represents 
them  to  have  a  magnificent  place  'o:  worship,  and  a  repository 
for  the  Holy  Volume,  adorned  with  richly  embroidered  curtains, 
in  which  they  preserve  an  ancient  Hebrew  manuscript  roll. 

They  know  but  little  of  the  Mosaic  law,  and  only  repeat  the 
names  of  David,  Abraham,  Isaiah,  and  Jacob.  In  a  Hebrew 
letter  written  by  the  Jews  of  Cochin  China  to  their  brethren  at 
Amsterdam,  they  give  as  the  date  of  their  retiring  into  India, 
the  period  when  the  Romans  conquered  the  Holy  Land. 

It  is  clearly  evident,  therefore,  that  the  tribes,  in  their  progress 
to  a  new  and  undiscovered  country,  left  many  of  their  numbers 


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in  China  and  Tartary,  nnd  finally  reached  th^traits  of  Behring, 
where  no  dinicuUy  prevented  their  crossing  to  the  north-west 
coast  of  America,  a  distance  loss  than  thirty  miles,  interspersed 
with  the  Copper  Islands,  probably  frozen  over ;  and  reaching 
our  continent,  spread  themselves  in  the  course  of  two  thousand 
years  to  Cape  Horn  ;  the  more  hardy  keeping  to  the  north,  to 
Labrador,  Hudson's  Bay  and  Greenland,  the  more  cultivated 
fixing  their  residence  in  the  beautiful  climate  and  rich  posses- 
bions  of  Central  America,  Mexico  and  Peru. 

But  it  may  here  be  asked,  could  the  scattered  remnants  of 
Israel  have  had  the  courage  to  p»'netratc  through  unknown  re- 
gions, and  encounter  the  hardshi|)s  and  privations  of  that  inhos- 
pitable coimtry  ?  Could  they  have  had  the  fortitude,  the  deci- 
sion, the  power,  to  venture  on  a  dreary  pilgrimage  of  eighteen 
months,  the  time  mentioned  by  Esdras  as  the  period  of  their  jour- 
ney ]  Could  they  noti  What  obstacles  had  hitherto  impeded 
their  progress,  that  had  broken  down  their  energies,  or  impaired 
tlieir  constancy  and  fidelity  1 

They  knew  that  their  brethren  had  severed  the  chains  of 
Egyptian  bondage  ;  had  crossed  in  safety  the  arm  of  the  Red 
Sea  ;  had  sojourned  for  years  in  the  wilderness  ;  had  encamped 
near  Mount  Sinai,  and  had  possessed  themselves  of  the  Holy 
Land. 

They  reni'^  nbered  the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel  in  all 
their  glory  ;  they  had  witnessed  the  erection  and  destruction  of 
their  Temple  ;  they  had  fought  and  conquered  with  the  Medes, 
tlie  Assyrians,  the  Persians,  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans.  They 
had  encountered  sufferings  upon  sufferings  unmoved ;  had  bowed 
their  necks  submissively  to  the  yoke. 

Kings,  conquerors,  nations.  Christians,  Mahometans,  and 
Heathens,  all  had  united  in  the  design  of  destroying  the  na- 
tion ;  but  they  never  despaired  ;  they  knew  they  Avere  the  elect 


1 

I 


and  chosen  of  llie  Lonl.  The  o.iih  that  he  never  wouUl  ahun-' 
•Ion  his  pcopiti  iiiul  l)ecn  fiilliMcd  for  3.»00  years',  ami,  ihrrefor*;, 
with  iho  (loud  l>y  day  and  ihc  piUar  of  fire  hy  nighf,  they 
ahandoncd  ihc  IFt-al hens  and  the  I'tTwian  territory,  passed  the 
confines  of  Tarfary  and  China,  and,  no  doubt  through  great  suf- 
ferings), reached  the  norih-eastcrn  coast  of  Asia,  and  came  in 
sight  of  that  continent,  wherein,  as  they  had  reason  to  beUcve, 
"nmnlvind  never  before  had  dwelt." 

On  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  and  the  disco- 
veries subsequent  to  his  time,  various  tribes  of  Indians  or  sa- 
vages were  found  to  inhabit  this  our  continent,  whose  origin 
was  unknown. 

It  is,  perhaps,  diflficult  for  the  human  mind  to  decide  on  the 
character  and  condition  of  an  extreme  savage  state.  We  can 
readily  believe  that  children  abandoned  in  infancy  in  a  savage 
country,  and  surviving  this  abandonment,  to  grow  up  in  a  state 
of  nature,  living  on  herbs  and  fruits,  and  sustaining  existence 
as  other  wild  animals,  would  be  stupid,  \vitliout  language,  with- 
out intellect,  and  with  no  greater  instinct  than  that  which  gov- 
erns the  brute  creation.  We  can  conceive  nothing  reduced  to 
a  more  savage  condition ;  with  cannibal  propensities,  an  ungov- 
ernable ferocity,  or  a  timid  apprehension,  there  can  be  but  a  link 
that  separates  them  from  other  classes  of  animal  creation.  So 
with  herds  of  men  in  a  savage  state,  like  herds  of  buffalo  or  wild 
horses  on  our  prairies,  they  are  kept  together  by  sounds  common 
amongst  themselves,  and  are  utterly  unacquainted  with  the 
landmarks  of  civilization. 

This,  however,  was  not  the  condition  of  the  American  In- 
dians when  first  discovered.  They  were  a  singular  race  of  men, 
with  enlarged  views  of  life,  religion,  courage,  constancy,  hu- 
manity, policy,  eloquence,  love  of  their  families  ;  with  a  proud 
and  gallant  bearing,  fierce  in  war,  and,  like  the  ancients,  relent- 


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fess  ill  victory.  Their  ho^pKality  niiglii.  be  qnoted  as  examplcrf 
among  the  most  liberal  of  the  pics-ent  day.  Tliese  w'ere  not 
wild  men — these  were  a  dillcrent  clays  from  those  found  on  the 
Sandwich  and  Feegee  Islands.  The  red  men  of  America,  bear- 
ing as  they  do  the  strongest  marks  of  Asiatic  origin,  have  for 
more  than  2000  years  (and  divided  as  I  hey  are  in  upwards  of 
300  different  nations)  been  remarkable  for  their  intellectual  su- 
periority, their  bravery  in  war,  their  good  faith  in  peace,  and  all 
the  simplicity  and  virtues  of  their  patriarchal  fathers,  until  civili- 
zation, as  it  is  called,  had  rendered  them  familiar  with  all  the 
vices  which  distinguish  the  present  era,  without  being  able  to 
enforce  any  of  the  virtues  which  are  the  boast  of  our  present 
enlightened  times. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  religious  belief  and  ceremonies  of  the  In- 
dians that  I  propose  showing  some  of  the  evidences  of  their 
being,  as  it  is  believed,  the  descendants  of  the  dispersed  tribes. 
This  opinion  is  founded — 

1st.  In  their  belief  in  one  God. 

2d.  In  the  computation  of  time  by  their  ceremonies  of  the 
new  moon. 

3d.  In  their  divisions  of  the  year  in  four  seasons,  answering 
to  the  Jewish  festivals  of  the  feast  of  llowers,  the  day  of 
atonement,  the  feast  of  the  tabernacle,  and  other  relifi  'is 
holydays. 

4th.  In  the  erection  of  a  temple  after  the  manner  of  our 
temple,  and  having  an  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  also  the  erec- 
tion of  altars. 

5th.  By  the  division  of  the  nation  into  tribes  with  a  chief  or 
grand  sachem  at  their  head. 

6th.  By  their  laws  of  sacrifices,  ablutions,  marriages  ;  cere- 
monies i\  war  and  peace,  the  proliibitions  of  eating  certain 
things,  fully  carrying  out  the  Mosaic  institutions ; — by  their 


§. 


■r. 


I 


i 


9 


lie 


or 


.A 


traditions,  liistory,  character,  appearance,  affinity  of  their  lan- 
guage to  the  Hebrew,  and  fuiuUy,  by  that  everlasting-  covenant 
of  heirship  exhibited  in  a  perpetual  transmission  of  its  seal  in 
their  flesh. 

If  I  shall  be  able  to  satisfy  your  doubts  and  curiosity  on  these 
points,  you  will  certainly  rejoice  with  me  in  discovering  that  the 
dispersed  of  the  chosen  people  are  not  the  lost  ones — that  the 
promises  held  out  to  them  have  been  thus  far  realised,  and  that 
all  (he  prophecies  relative  to  their  future  destination  will  in  due 
time  be  strictly  fuUilled. 

It  has  been  the  general  impression,  as  before  mentioned,  that 
great  resemblanceexisted  between  some  of  the  religious  rites  of 
the  Jews,  and  the  peculiar  ceremonies  of  the  Indians  ;  and  the 
belief  in  one  great  spirit  has  tended  to  strengthen  the  impression ; 
yet  this  mere  resemblance  only  extended  so  far  as  to  admit  of  the 
belief,  that  they  possibly  may  have  descejided  from  the  dispersed 
tribes,  or  j)iay  have  been  of  Tartar  or  jNIalay  origin. 

It  was,  however,  a  vague  and  unsatisfactory  suspicion,  which, 
having  no  tangible  evidence,  has  been  rejected,  or  thrown  aside 
as  a  mere  supposition.  All  the  missionaries  and  travellers  among 
the  Indian  tribes  since  the  discovery  of  America — Adair,  Heck- 
welder,  Charliveux,  M'Kenzie,  Bartram,  Beltrami,  Smith,  Penu, 
Mrs.  Simon,  who  has  written  a  very  interesting  work  on  this 
subject,  &c.,  have  expressed  opinions  in  favour  of  their  being  of 
Jewish  origin — the  difliculty,  however,  under  which  they  all 
laboured  was  simply  this ;  they  were  familiar  wifh  the  religious 
rites,  ceremonies,  traditions  and  belief  of  the  Indians,  but  they 
were  not  suftkiently  conversant  with  the  Jewish  rites  and  cere- 
monies, to  show  the  analogy.  It  is  precisely  this  link  in  the 
chain  of  evidence  that  I  propose  to  supply. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Indians  believing  in  one  great  Spirit 

and  Fountain  of  Life,  like  the  Jews,  does  not  prove  their  descent 

2 


!    I 


1> 


M'    r 


10 


I 

i 

I' 


h 


if 


from  the  missing  triljes,  because  in  a  savage  state  their  very 
ignorance  and  superstition  lead  them  to  confide  in  the  works  of 
some  divine  superior  being.  But  savages  are  apt  to  be  idohiters, 
and  personate  the  deity  by  some  carved  figure  or  image  to  whom 
they  pay  their  adoration^  and  not  hice  the  Indians,  having  a 
clear  and  definite  idea  of  one  great  Ruler  of  the  universe,  one 
great  Spirit,  whose  attributes  are  as  well  known  to  them  as  to  us. 
But  if  the  continued  unerring  worship  of  one  God  like  the  Jews 
prove  nothing,  where  did  they  acquire  the  same  Hebrew  name 
and  appellation  of  that  deity  ?  If  tradition  had  not  handed  down 
to  them  the  inell'able  name  as  also  preserved  by  the  Jews,  how 
did  they  acquire  it  in  a  wilderness  wiiere  the  word  of  the  Lord 
was  never  known  1 

Adair,  in  whom  I  repose  great  confidence,  and  who  resided 
forty  years  among  them,  in  his  work  published  in  1775,  says, 
"The  ancient  heathens  worshipped  a  plurality  of  gods,  but 
these  Indians  pay  their  devoir  to  Lo-ak  (Light)  Ish-ta-hoola-aba, 
distinctly  Hebrew,  Avhich  means  the  great  supreme  beneficent 
holy  Spirit  of  Fire  who  resides  above. 

They  are,  says  Adair,  utter  strangers  to  all  the  gestures  })rac- 
tised  by  the  pagans  in  their  religious  rites — they  kiss  no  idols, 
nor  would  they  kiss  their  hands  in  tokens  of  reverence  or  willing 
obedience. 

These  tribes,  says  Adair,  so  far  from  being  Atheists,  use  the 
great  and  dreadful  name  of  God  which  describes  his  divine 
essence,  and  by  which  he  manifested  himself  to  Moses  !  and  are 
firmly  persuaded  that  they  now  live  under  the  immediate 
government  of  the  Almighty  Ruler.  Their  appellative  for  God 
is  Isto-hooloy  the  Hebrew  of  Esh-Eshjs,  from  Ishto,  Great,  but 
they  have  another  appellative,  which  with  them  as  with  us,  is 
the  mysterious  essential  name  of  God,  which  they  never  men- 
tion in  common  speech,  and  only  when  performing  their  most 


11 


J  their  very 
he  works  of 
be  idolaters, 
ge  to  whom 
s,  having-  a 
liverse,  one 
em  as  to  us. 
:e  the  Jews 
brew  name 
mded  down 
Jews,  how 
)f  the  Lord 

'ho  resided 

1775,  says, 
'  godp,  but 
■hoola-aba, 
beneficent 

ures  prac- 
s  no  idols, 
or  wilUng 

s,  use  the 
lis  divine 
!  and  are 
Timediate 
e  for  God 
'real,  but 
ith  us,  ia 
i'^er  men- 
lieir  most 


sacred  religious  rites^  -vid  then  they  most  solemnly  divide  it  in 
syllables,  with  int«.^,  liiate  word;?,  so  as  not  to  pronounce  the 
ineHablc  name  at  once. 

Thus,  in  their  sacred  dances  at  their  feast  of  the  first-fruits, 
they  sing  Melmjnh  and  Mesheha,  from  the  Hebrew  of  Masheach, 
Messiah,  the  anointed  one.  «  Yo  mesheha,"  "  He  mesheha," 
"  Wah  meshehah,"  thus  making  the  Jllleluyah,  the  Meshiah, 
the  Yehovah." 

Can  we,  for  a  moment,  believe  that  these  sacred  well  known 

Hebrew  words  found  their  way  by  accident  to  the  Avilderness? 

Or  can  it  be  doubted  that  like  the  fire  of  the  burning  bush  which 

never  is  extinguished,  those  words  of  religious  adoration  are  the 

sacred  relics  of  tradition,  lianded  down  to  them  from  generation 

to  generation  ?     In  the  same  manner,  says  Adair,  they  sing  on 

certain  other  religious  celebrations,  ailyo  ailyo,  which  is    the 

Hebrew  el  for  God  by  his  attribute  of  omnipotence.     They 

likewise  sing  hewah,  hewah,  He  chyra,  the  "immortal  soul." 

Those  words  sung  at  their  religious  rejoicings  are  never  uttered 

at  any  other  time,  which  must  have  occasioned  the  loss  of  their 

divine  hymns.     They  on  some  occasions  sing   Sliilu  yo—Skilu 

he — Shilu  xmh.     The  three  terminations  make  up  in  their  order 

the  four  lettered  divine  name  in  Hebrew.     Shilu  is  evidently 

Shaleach,  Shi/olh,  the  messenger ;  "  the  peace  maker." 

The  number  of  Hebrew  words  used  in  their  religious  services 
is  incredible  ;  thus,  in  chiding  any  one  for  levity  during  a  solemn 
worship  they  say,  Che  hakeel  Kana, ''you  resemble  those  re- 
proved in  Canaan,"  and  to  convey  the  idea  of  criminality,  they 
say  Hacksct  Canaha,  "the  sinners  of  Canaan."  They  call 
lightning  eloah,  and  the  rumbling  of  thunder  rowah,  from  the 
Hebrew  riiach,  "  spirit." 

Like  the  Israelites  they  divide  the  year  into  four  seasons, 
with  the  same  festivals  ;  they  calculate  by  moons  and  celebrate 


«  • 


Ij 


't 


12 

as  the  Jews  do  the  berachak  halebunaf  the  blessing  for  the 
new  iTioon. 

The  Iiuhaiis  have  their  prophets  and  higli-priests,  the  same 
as  the  Jews  liad;  not  hastily  selected,  hut  chosen  with  caution 
from  the  most  wise  and  discreet,  and  they  ordain  tlieir  high 
priests  by  anointing,  and  have  a  most  holy  place  in  their  sanctu- 
aries, like  the  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  Temple.  The  Archima- 
gus  or  High  Priest,  wears,  in  resemblance  to  the  ancient  breast- 
plate, a  white  conch-shell  ornamented  so  as  to  resemble  the 
precious  stones  on  the  Ur'im,  and  instead  of  the  golden  plate 
worn  by  the  Levite  on  his  forehead,  bearing  the  inscription 
Kodlsh  Ladonmje,  the  Indian  binds  his  brows  with  a  wreath  of 
swan's  feathers,  and  wears  a  tuft  of  wdiite  feathers  which  he 
calls  Yatira. 

The  Indians  have  their  ark  which  they  invariably  carry  with 
them  to  battle  well  guarded.  In  speaking  of  the  Indian  places 
of  refuge,  Adair  says,  "  I  observed  that  if  a  captive  taken  by  the 
reputed  power  of  the  holy  things  of  their  ark,  should  be  able  to 
make  his  escape  into  one  of  these  towns,  or  even  into  the  winter 
house  of  the  ..Irchhnagus,  he  is  delivered  from  the  fiery  torture, 
otherwise  inevitable.  This,  when  taken  in  connection  with 
the  many  other  faint  images  of  Mosaic  customs,  seems  to  point 
at  the  mercy-seat  of  the  sanctuary.  It  is  also  worthy  of  notice, 
that  they  never  place  the  ark  on  the  ground.  On  hilly  ground 
where  large  stones  are  plenty,  they  rest  it  thereon,  but  on  level 
p;airies,  upon  short  logs,  where  they  also  seat  themselves.  And 
when  we  consider,  continues  Adair,  in  what  a  surprising  man- 
ner the  Indians  copy  after  the  ceremonial  law  of  the  Hebrews, 
and  their  strict  purity  in  the  war  camps  ;  that  opae,  "the  leader" 
obliges  all  during  the  first  campaign  which  they  have  made 
witli  the  beloved  ark,  to  stand  every  day  they  are  not  engaged 
in  warfare,  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  and  after  a  fatiguing  day's 


«. 

■^ 


I 


ng  for  the 

',  the  same 
'ith  caution 

their  high 
leir  sanctu- 
!  Archima- 
ieiit  breast- 
senible  the 
)l(Ien  plate 

inscription 
.  wreath  of 
3  which  he 

carry  with 
lian  places 
ken  by  the 
be  able  to 
the  winter 
ly  torture, 
tion  with 
IS  to  point 
of  notice, 
ly  ground 
t  on  level 
ves.  And 
ing  man- 
Hebrews, 
e  leader" 
ive  made 
engaged 
ng  day's 


,1 


13 

march  and  scanty  allowance,  to  drink  warm  water  embittered 
with  rattle  snake  root  very  plentifully,  in  order  to  purification  ; 
tluit  they  have  also  as  strong  a  faith  in  the  power  of  their  ark 
as  ever  the  Israelites  had  in  theirs,  ascribing  the  success  of  one 
party  to  their  stricter  adherence  to  the  law,  than  the  other,  we 
have  strong  reason  to  conclude  them  of  Hebrew  origin.  The 
Indians  have  an  old  tradition,  that  when  they  left  their  own 
native  land,  they  brought  with  them  a  sanctified  rod  by  order  of 
an  oracle,  which  they  fixed  every  evening  in  the  ground,  and 
\vere  to  remove  from  place  to  place  on  the  continent  towards 
the  sun  rising  till  it  budded  in  one  night's  time.  I  have  seen 
other  Indians,  says  the  same  writer,  who  related  the  same  thing. 
Insiead  of  the  miraculous  direction  to  which  they  limit  it,  in 
their  western  banishment,  it  appears  more  likely  that  they  refer 
to  the  ancient  circumstance  of  the  rod  of  Aaron,  which  in 
order  to  check  the  murmur  of  those  who  conspired  agrinst  him, 
was  in  his  favour  made  to  bud  blossoms  and  yir'.d  almonds  at 
one  and  the  same  time.  It  is  a  well  attested  fact,  and  is  here 
corroborated  by  Adair,  that  in  taking  female  captives,  the  In- 
dians have  often  protected  them,  but  never  despoiled  them  of 
honour. 

This  statement  of  Adair,  in  relation  to  the  ark,  is  corroborated 
by  several  travellers.  Major  Long,  a' more  recent  traveller,  in 
his  expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  says  in  relation  to  the 
ark,  "  It  is  placed  upon  a  stand,  and  is  never  suffered  to  (ouch 
the  earth.  No  person  dare  open  all  the  coverings.  Tradition 
informs  them  that  curosity  induced  three  different  persons  to 
examine  the  mysterious  shell,  who  were  immediately  punished 
for  their  profanation  by  instant  bhndness."  This  is  the  Jewish 
punishment  pronounced  for  looking  on  the  holy  of  holies— even 
now  for  looking  on  the  descendants  of  the  high  priest  who 
alone  have  the  privilege  of  blessing  the  people. 


14 


■"*i. 


,# 


a.: 


Tl\c  most  sacred  fast  day  uniformly  kept  by  the  Jews  is  the 
day  of  Atont'inciit,  usually  falling-  in  the  month  of  September 
or  early  in  October.  This  is  deemed  in  every  part  of  the  world 
a  most  solemn  fast,  and  great  preparations  are  made  for  its  cele- 
bration. It  is  in  the  nature  of  expiation  of  sin,  of  full  confession, 
penitence  and  prayer;  and  is  preceded  by  ablution  and  pre- 
paraiion  of  morning  prayer  for  some  lime. 

It  is  a  very  sacred  fast,  which  lasts  from  sunset  on  one  day 
until  the  new  moon  is  seen  on  the  succeeding  evening.  It  is 
not  in  the  nature  of  a  gloomy  desponding  penance,  but  rather  a 
day  of  solemn  rejoicing,  of  hope  and  confidence,  and  is  respected 
by  those  most  indillerent  to  all  other  festivals  throughout  the 
year. 

Precisely  such  a  fast,  with  similar  motives,  and  nearly  at  the 
same  period  of  the  year,  is  kept  by  the  Indian  natives  generally. 

Adair,  after  stating  the  strict  manner  in  which  the  Indians 
observe  the  revolutions  of  the  moon,  and  describing  (he  feast  of 
the  harvest,  and  the  first  offerings  of  the  fruits,  gives  a  long  ac- 
count of  the  preparations  in  putting  their  temple  in  proper 
order  for  the  great  day  of  atonement,  which  he  fixes  at  the 
time  when  the  corn  is  full  eared  and  ripe,  generally  in  the  latter 
end  of  September.     He  then  proceeds  : 

"  Now  one  of  the  waiters  proclaims  with  a  loud  voice,  for  all 
the  warriors  and  beloved  men  whom  the  purity  of  their  law  ad- 
mits, to  come  and  enter  the  beloved  square,  and  observe  the 
fast.  He  also  exhorts  the  women  and  children,  with  those 
who  have  not  been  initiated  in  war,  to  keep  apart,  according 
to  the  law. 

"  Four  centinels  are  now  placed  one  at  each  corner  of  the 
holy  square,  to  keep  out  every  living  creature  as  impure,  except 
the  religious  order,  and  the  warriors  who  are  not  known  to  have 
violated  the  law  of  the  first  fruit-olTering,  and  that  of  marriage, 


3VVS  is  the 
September 
the  world 
•r  itscele- 
JJifession, 
and  pre- 

I  one  day 
?.  It  is 
rather  a 
espected 
hout  the 

y  at  the 
inerally. 
Indians 
feast  of 
long-  ac- 
i  proper 
I  at  the 
le  latter 

,  for  all 
aw  ad- 
ve  the 
I  those 
wording 

of  the 
except 
3  have 


mage, 


15 

since  the  last  year's  expiation.  They  observe  the  fast  till  the 
rising  of  the  second  sun  ;  and  bo  they  ever  so  hungry  in  the 
sacred  interval,  the  ht-alfliy  warriors  deem  the  duty  so  awfid, 
and  diricbedicnco  so  inexpressibly  vicious,  that  no  temptation 
would  induce  them  to  violate  i(.  Tliey  at  the  same  time  drink 
plentifully  of  a  decotion  of  the  button  snake  root,  in  order  to 
vomit  and  cleanse  their  sinful  bodies. 

"  In  the  geneial  fast,  the  children  and  men  of  weak  constitu- 
tions, are  allowed  to  eat,  as  soon  as  they  are  certain  that  the 
sun  has  begun  to  decline  from  his  meridian  altitude, 

"  Now  every  thing  is  hushed.  Nothing  but  silence  all  around. 
The  great  beloved  man,  and  his  beloved  waiter,  rising  up  with 
a  reverend  carriage,  steady  countenance  and  composed  beha- 
viour, go  into  the  beloved  place,  or  holiest,  to  bring  them  out 
the  beloved  fire.  The  former  takes  a  piece  of  dry  poplar,  willow, 
or  white  oak,  and  having  cut  a  hole,  but  not  so  deep  as  to  reach 
through  it ;  he  then  sharpens  another  piece,  and  placing  that  in 
the  hole,  and  both  between  his  knees,  he  drills  it  briskly  for 
several  minutes,  till  it  begins  to  smoke — or  by  rubbing  two 
peices  together  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  he  collects  by  friction 
the  hidden  fire,  which  they  all  consider  as  proceeding  from  the 
holy  spirit  of  fire. 

"  The  great  beloved  man,  or  high  priest,  addresses  the  war- 
riors and  women  ;  giving  all  the  particular,  positive  injunctions 
and  negative  precepts  they  yet  retain  of  the  ancient  law.  He 
uses  very  sharp  language  to  the  women.  He  then  addresses 
Uie  whole  multitude.  He  enumerates  the  crimes  they  have 
committed,  great  and  small,  and  bids  them  look  at  the  holy  fire 
which  has  forgiven  the.ii.  He  presses  on  his  audience,  by  the 
great  motives  of  temporal  good  and  the  fear  of  temporal  evil, 
the  necessity  of  a  careful  observance  of  the  ancient  law,  assu- 
ring them  that  the  holy  fire  will  enable  their  prophets,  the  rain 


16 


•  i    "1 


*i  .  ■ 


makers,  to  piocuie  them  pleiKiful  harvests,  and  give  their  war 
leaders  victory  over  their  eneiuies.  lie  then  orders  some  of  the 
fire  lo  be  laid  down  outside  of  (lie  holy  ground,  for  all  the  houses 
of  the  various  associated  towns,  wliich  sometimes  lay  several 
niiles  apart." 

Mr.  Hartram,  who  visited  the  southern  Indians  in  1778, 
gives  an  account  of  the  same  feast,  but  in  another  nation.  He 
says,  "that  the  feast  of  first  fruits  is  the  principal  festival.  This 
seems  to  end  the  old  and  begin  the  new  ecclesiastical  year.  It 
conuncnccs  when  their  new  crops  are  arrived  to  maturity.  This 
is  their  most  solemn  celebration." 

With  respect  to  the  sacrifices,  we  have  had  none  since  the 
destruction  of  the  temple,  but  it  was  customary  among  the 
Jews,  in  the  olden  time,  to  sacrifice  daily  a  part  of  a  lamb. 
This  ceremony  is  strictly  observed  by  the  Indians.  The  hun- 
ter when  leaving  his  wigwam  for  the  chase,  j)uts  up  a  prayer, 
that  the  great  Spirit  will  aid  his  endeavours  to  procure  food  for 
his  wife  and  children,  and,  when  he  returns  with  the  red  deer, 
whatever  may  be  the  ciavings  of  hunger,  he  allows  none  to 
taste  until  he  has  cut  part  of  the  fiesh,  which  he  throws  in  the 
fire  as  a  sacrifice,  accompanied  with  prayer.  All  travellers 
speak  of  this  practice  among  the  Indians,  so  clearly  Hebrew  in 


Us  origm. 


The  bathings,  anointings,  ablutions,  in  the  coldest  weather, 
are  neve:  neglected  by  the  Indians,  and,  like  the  Jews  of  old, 
they  anoint  themselves  with  bear's  oil. 

The  Mosaic  prohibition  of  eating  unclean  animals,  and  their 
enumeration,  are  known  to  you  all.  It  would  be  supposed  that, 
amidst  the  uncertainty  of  an  Indian  life,  all  kinds  of  food  would 
be  equally  acceptable.  Not  so  :  for  in  strict  conformity  with 
the  Mosaic  law,  they  abstain  from  eating  the  blood  of  any  ani- 
mal, they  abominate  swine  flesh,  they  do  not  eat  fish  without 


3 


17 


tlieir  war 
line  of  the 
lie  houses 
[ly  sevciul 

in  1778, 
tion.  He 
ml.     This 

year.  It 
lily.   This 

since  the 
mong-  the 
)f  a  hiiub. 
The  hun- 
3  a  prayer, 
re  food  for 

red  deer, 
s  none  to 
ows  in  the 

travellers 
lebrcw  in 

weather, 
ws  of  old, 

and  their 
osed  that, 
od  would 
nity  with 
any  ani- 
without 


sculeH,  the  eel,  the  turtle  or  neu  cow ;  and  they  deem  many 
animals  and  birds  to  be  impure.  These  facts  are  noticed  by  all 
writers,  and  i)arlicularly  by  Edwards  in  his  History  of  the  West 
Indies.  The  latter  able  historian,  in  noticing  the  close  analogy 
between  the  religious  rites  of  the  Jews  and  Indians,  says,  "  that 
the  striking  conformity  of  the  prejudices  and  customs  of  the 
Caribbce  Indians,  to  the  practices  of  the  Jews,  has  not  escaped 
the  noliceof  such  historians  as  Gamella,  Du  Tertre,  and  others;" 
and  Edwards  also  statet',  that  the  Indians  on  the  Oioonoke,  pun- 
ished their  women  caught  in  adultery,  by  stoning  them  to  death 
before  the  assembly  of  the  people. 

Among  the  Mosaical  laws  is  the  obligation  of  one  brother  to 
to  marry  his  brother'^  widow,  if  he  die  without  issue.  Major 
Long  says,  "  if  the  deceased  has  left  a  brother,  he  takes  the 
widow  to  his  lodge  after  a  proper  interval  and  considers  her  as 
his  wife."     This  is  also  confirmed  by  Charleviux. 

It  would  occupy  a  greater  space  of  time  than  I  can  afford,  to 
trace  a  similitude  between  all  the  Indian  rites  and  religious 
ceremonies,  and  those  of  the  Jewish  nation.  In  their  births,  in 
their  separation  after  the  births  of  their  children,  in  their  daily 
prayers  and  sacrifices,  in  their  festivals,  in  their  burials,  in  the 
employment  of  mourners,  and  in  their  general  belief,  I  see  a 
close  analogy  and  intimate  connection,  with  all  the  ceremonies 
and  laws  which  are  observed  by  the  Jewish  people  ;  making  a 
'^lie  allowance  for  what  has  been  lost,  and  misunderstood,  in 
the  course  of  upwards  of  2000  years. 

A  general  belief  exists  among  most  travellers,  that  the  In- 
dians are  the  descendants  of  the  missing  tribes. 

Menassah  Ben  Israel  wrote  his  celebrated  treatise,  to  prove 
this  fact,  on  the  discovery  of  America. 

William  Penn,  who  always  acted  righteously  towards  the 
Indians,  and  had  never  suspected  that  they  had  descended  from 

3 


i 


II 


r'  hi 


iH 


|:. 


i 


pi 


the  inisHing  iriltn^,  Hayn,  in  a  Inltei'  to  his  iVioiKiH  in  F'iiigland, 
"  I  found  tliein  wiili  like  cuiiiUenanccH  to  tlie  Ilebievv  race. 
I  conskler  those  people  iiiulei  a  ihirk  night,  y(;t  they  believe  in 
God  and  ininioriahly,  willioul,  \\n)  aid  oC  molaphysics.  They 
reckon  l»y  inoons,  they  i>lVei  their  first  lipe  IVnits,  they  have  a  kind 
of  feat;!  of  tiil)ornaeies,  they  are  yaid  to  lay  their  altars  with 
twelve  stones,  they  mourn  a  year,  and  observe  the  Mosaic 
law  with  re<rard  to  separation." 

Kninnnel  de  Moriiez,  in  his  history  of  Hra/il,  declares  that 
America  has  l>een  peu[)led  by  the  Carlliagenians  and  Israelites, 
and  as  to  the  Israelites,  he  says,  nothing  is  wanting  but  circum- 
cision, to  constitute  a  perfect  resemblance  between  them  and 
the  Brazilians. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Beatty,  a  very  worthy  missionary,  says,  "  I 
have  often  before  hinted,  that  I  have  taken  great  pains  to  search 
into  the  usages  and  customs  of  the  Indians,  in  order  to  see  what 
ground  there  was  for  supposing  them  to  be  part  of  the  ten  tribes, 
and  I  must  own,  to  my  no  small  surprise,  that  a  number  of  their 
customs  appear  so  much  to  resemble  those  of  the  Jews,  that  it 
is  a  great  (luestion  with  me,  whether  we  can  expect  to  lind 
among  the  ten  tribes  wherever  they  are  at  ibis  day,  all  things 
considered,  more  of  the  foolstej)s  of  their  ancestors  than  among 
the  dilVerent  Indian  tribes." 

Monsieur  de  Guignes,  an  old  French  historijm,  in  speaking  of 
the  discoveries  made  in  America,  before  the  time  of  Colundjus, 
says,  "These  researches,  which  of  themselves,  give  us  great 
insight  into  the  origin  of  the  Americans,  lead  to  the  determina- 
tion of  the  route  of  the  colonics  sent  to  the  continent ;"  and  he 
proceeds  to  give  reasons  for  his  belief,  that  the  greater  part  of 
them  passed  thither  "  by  the  most  eastern  extremities  of  Asia, 
where  the  two  continents  are  only  separated  by  a  narrow  strait, 
easy  to  cross." 


M 


1 

11  I'irigland, 

ebrew  race. 

believe  in 

ics.     Tliey 

have  a  kind 

allais  with 

Lhe  Mosaic 

rehires  that 

1  Israelites, 

Jut  circmii- 

tliem  and 

f,  say.s,  "  I 

Id  to  search 

Lo  see  what 

)  ten  tribeti, 

ber  of  their 

\vs,  that  it 

ect  to  tind 

,  all  thini^H 

lan  among 

fpeaking  of 

Columbus, 

e  us  great 

determina- 

L ;"  and  he 

ter  part  of 

■[ 

s  of  Asia, 

■*5- 

row  strait, 

I!) 

Beltrami,  in  his  discovery  ol  ihe  sources  ol  the  Mississippi, 
after  a  full  and  inl«resiiiig  account  of  the  IiidiiUH,  siiys,  "  Dif- 
ferent authors  hav<'.  brought,  I  hem  liilluM'  fritni  nil  parts  of  the 
world.  I  was  at  lirst  induced  to  join  with  those  wiio  derived 
them  from  the  IIebr(!\vs.  ItHcemed  iiiipossii)l(r  for  me  to  doubt, 
that  by  so  doing,  I  shoidd  be  building  on  an  impn^gnable  foun- 
dation." lie  then  proceeds  to  prove  their  Asiatic  origin  by 
many  interesting  fjwls. 

The  late  Earl  of  Crawfoid  and  Lindsay,  published  his  (ravels 
in  America,  in  1801.  "  It  is  curious  and  pleasing,"  says  he,  "  in 
reading  the  travels  of  those  who  have  Ijcen  among  these  people, 
to  fmd  how  their  customs  comport  with  the  laws  of  Moses  ;" 
and  after  descril)ing  at  length  their  religious  rites  and  cere- 
monies, his  lordship  emphatically  observes,  "  It  is  a  sound  truth, 
that  the  Indians  are  descended  from  the  leti  tribes  ;  and  time 
and  investigation  will  more  and  more  enforce  its  acknowledge- 
ment." 

It  is,  however,  in  Mexico  and  Peru,  that  we  must  look  for 
the  most  enlightened  and  the  most  wealthy  of  the  Indian  race. 
On  the  representations  of  Montesini,  who  travelled  in  South 
America,  the  learned  Itabbi  Menassah  Ben  Israel,  as  I  have 
s^aid  before,  wrot<;  his  famous  wprk  La  Esperanza  de  Israel, 
which  he  published  in  Amsterdam,  in  16.50,  endeavouring  with 
great  zeal  to  prove,  that  the  Indians  in  North  and  South  Ameri- 
ca were  the  descendants  of  the  missing  tribes  ;  and  Cromwell 
to  whom  the  work  was  dedicated,  was  greatly  interested  in  the 
evidences  produced  on  that  occasion.  Montesini,  travelling 
through  the  province  of  Qui/,  found  that  his  Indian  guide  was 
a  Jew,  and  pursuing  his  incpiiries,  discovered  that  immense 
numbers  lived  behind  the  Cordilleras.  Francis,  the  name  of 
his  guide,  admitted  to  Montesini,  that  bis  God  was  called  t/Zcilona?', 
and  that  be  acknowledged   Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  as  his 


I 


i  . 


•0 

ancesioix,  ami  lluiy  chiinieil  lu  have  dcrtceiulod  fioin  the  tribe  ol 
Reuben. 

Acodlii  conteiultf,  i  ol  ibey  have  a  Imditinn  rehitive  to  the 
<lehig(!  ;  that  they  preserve  the  rite  of  circunicision  ;  they  oiler 
the  (irst-rriiitfi,  niul  in  I'eru  they  eat  (he  I'aselml  l.ainb ;  they 
beheve  in  the  reHurreclion,  and  clothe  the  dead  with  (he  richest 
cqnipafre.  Lopez  do  Goinara  sayn,  that  eouic  of  them,  and  not 
all,  are  circnnuiried.  Acosta  continnes,  "  the  Mexicann  point 
out  the  various  stations  as  their  ancestors  advanced  into  their 
country,  and  it  is  precisely  the  route  which  they  must  have 
held,  had  I  hey  been  emigrants  from  Asia." 

Menassah  Han  Israel  declares,  that  the  Indians  of  Mexico 
had  a  tradition,  that  their  magnificent  place  of  worship  bad  been 
l)uilt  by  a  people  who  wore  their  beards,  and  were  more  ancient 
than  their  Incas.  In  the  universal  history  of  17  18,  it  is  allirincd, 
that  the  Mexi(^ans  and  other  American  Indians  rend  their  gar- 
ments, in  order  the  more  cfft'Ctually  to  express  grief — the  Hebrew 
custom  at  this  day. 

Lopez  de  Gomara  states,  that  the  Mexicans  ofier  sacrifices  of 
the  first-fruits,  and  when  Cortex  approached  Mexico,  Monte- 
zuma shut  himself  up  for  the  spac-  of  eight  day;-  in  fasting  and 
prayer.  Emanuel  de  Morcas  and  Acoslu  say,  that  the  Bra- 
zilians marry  in  their  own  tribes  and  families  ;  and  Escorbatus 
affirms,  that  he  frequently  heard  the  southern  tribes  repeat  the 
sacred  notes  Ha-le-lu-yah.  Malvenda  states,  that  several  tomb- 
stones were  found  in  St.  Michaels,  with  ancient  Hebrew  char- 
acters. 

When  the  Spaniards  invaded  Mexico,  the  Cholula  vvs  <  t;;- 
sider-^d  a  holy  city  by  the  natives,  with  magnificeni  temples,  in 
whicl^  the  High-Priest  Quetzacolt  preached  peace  to  man,  and 
would  )ermit  nn  other  offerings  to  the  Master  of  Life,  than  the 
first-frui's  of  the  harvest.     "  We  ivuow  by  our  traditions,"  said 


y  t 


^ 


91 


\v  lrl\)o  of 

v«  iu  llip 
I  icy  ofl'er 
nl) ;  they 
ic  richest 
,  niid  not 
ins  point 
into  thcii 
nst  have 

f  Mexico 
lad  been 
<;  ancient 
iiniiiiiccJ, 
lh<Mr  fjar. 
c  irelticw 

rificcs  of 
,  Mon le- 
afing- and 
ihe  Bra- 
icorbatna 
peat  the 
al  tomb- 
e\v  char- 
vis  Clfl- 
nples,  in 
lan,  and 
han  (he 
Js,"  said 


the  venerabh;  Piinc*;  Mouuznnia,  lo  (h«'  Spanish  Ciertctal 
Coite/,  "that  wo  who  inh»l>;i  I'lis  comitiy  are  not  tho  nutiveis, 
,)t  stranp'rH  who  come  from  a  j;u;(t  di-^tance." 

IJon  Alon/o  Erecellii,  in  his  hintory  of  Chih,  snyn,  iht!  Aranca- 
nianH  acknowledjje  one  Snj  irnie  Ueini;,  and  believe  in  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul;  and  the  Al)be  Clavifiero  declares,  that 
they  have  a  tradition  of  the  (rreat  delujje.  The  lawa  iind  cerc- 
moniea  of  the  Peruvians  and  Mt.:icans  have,  no  doubt,  been  cor- 
lupt'jd  in  the  course  of  many  ages,  both  in  their  sacriliccs  and 
worship. 

Their  great  and  magnificent  temple,  evidently  in  imitation  of 
that  erected  by  Solomon,  wan  founded  by  Mango  Capac,  or 
rather  by  the  Inca  Yupan(|ne,  who  f  lowed  it  witlu.gieat 
wealth.  Clavagcro  and  De  Vega  in  their  very  interesting  ac- 
count of  this  temple,  say,  "what  we  called  the  altar  was  on 
the  cast  side  of  the  temple.  There  were  many  doors  to  the 
temple,  all  of  which  were  plated  with  gold,  and  the  four  walls 
the  whole  way  round,  were  crowiK.'d  with  a  rich  golden  garland, 
more  than  an  ell  in  width.  lioui'd  the  temple  were  live  scpiare 
pavilions,  whose  (ops  were  in  the  form  of  pyramids.  The  fifth 
was  lined  entirely  with  gold,  and  w".s  for  the  nse  of  the  Royal 
High-Priest  of  sacrifices,  and  in  which  all  the  delilirrationa 
concerning  the  temple  wci"  held.  Some  of  the  doors  led  to  the 
schools  where  (he  Incas  listen  to  the  di^bates  of  the  philoso- 
phers, sometimes  (hcmsjlves  explaining  the  laws  and  ordi- 
nances." 

Mexico  and  Central  Anicrica  ai)ound  in  curiosities,  exemplifj'- 
ing  the  fact  of  the  Asiaii  •  origin  ol  the  inhabitants,  and  it  is 
not  many  years  ago,  that  ihc  ruins  of  a  whole  city,  with  a  wall 
nearly  seven  miles  in  circ  iimference,  with  castles,  palaces,  and 
temples,  ovi*lently  of  Hebrew  or  PhoMiician  architecture,  was 
found      n   ihe   river    Palenque.      The    35th   number   of   the 


f 


1 


i 


f 


•I 


Nil 


.t;| 


-f 


'JIO! 


Foreign   Qiiarfeiiy  licviow  contains  an  in(eiosting  account  of 
those  antiquities. 

The  luina  of  this  city  near  Guatemala,  in  Central  America, 
as  described  by  Del  Rio  in  1782,  when  taken  in  conjunction 
with  the  extraordinary,  I  may  say,  wonderful  antiquities  spread 
over  the  entire  surface  of  that  country,  awaken  recollections  in 
the  specimens  of  architecture,  which  carry  us  back  to  the  early 
pages  of  history,  and  prove  beyond  the  shadow  of  doubt,  that 
we  who  imagined  ourselves  to  be  the  natives  of  a  new  world, 
but  recently  discovered,  inhabit  a  continent  which  rivalled  the 
splendor  of  Egypt  and  Syria,  and  was  peopled  by  a  powerful 
and  highly  cuUivated  nation  from  the  old  world.  When  we 
speak  of  what  is  called  Mexican  antiquities,  we  must  not  con- 
found the  rude  labours  of  modern  times,  with  the  splendid  per- 
fections which  distinguished  the  eflbrts  of  those  who  reared  the 
Egyptian  pyramids,  and  built  the  temples  of  Thebes  and  Mem- 
phis. It  is  not  Mexican  antitiuities,  but  the  antiquities  of 
Tnltecan  ;  and  in  addition  to  the  ruins  of  Palcnque,  on  this  our 
continent,  there  are  pyramids  larger  than  those  of  Sachara 
in  Egypt  at  Cholula,  Otamba,  Paxaca,  Mitlan,  Tlascola,  and 
on  the  mountains  of  Tescoca,  together  with  hieroglyphics, 
planispheres  and  zodiacs,  a  symbolic  and  Phonetic  alphabet ; 
papyrus,  metopes,  triglyphs,  and  temples  and  buildings  of 
immense  grandeur ;  military  roads,  aijueducts,  viaducts,  post- 
ing stations  and  distances  ;  bridges  of  great  grandeur  and 
massive  character,  all  piosenting  the  most  positive  evidences 
of  the  existence  of  a  powerful  enterprising  nation,  which  must 
have  flourished  two  thousand  years  before  the  Spanish  Con- 
quest. Take,  for  example,  the  description  of  the  temple  at 
Palenquc,  which  Lord  Kingsborough,  in  his  travels,  not  only 
declares  loas  built  by  Jews,  and  is  a  copy  of  Solomon's  temple, 
but  which,  no  doubt,  is  precisely  the  model  of  the   temple  de- 


J 


23 

scribed  by  Ezekiel.     Travellers  speak  of  it  in  the   following 
terms  : 

"  It  may  be  appropriately. called  an  ecclesiastical  city,  rather 
than  a  temple.  Within  its  vast  precincts,  there  appear  to  be 
contained,  (as  indeed  was,  in  some  measure,  the  case  with  the 
area  that  embraced  the  various  buildinijs  of  fc^olomon's  tem- 
pie,)  a  pyramidal  tower,  various  sanctuaries,  sepulchres  ;  a 
small  and  a  large  (juadrangular  court,  one  surrounded  as  we 
have  said, by  cloisters;  subterranean  initiatory  galleries  beneath; 
oracles,  courts  of  justice,  high  places,  and  cells  or  dwellings 
for  the  various  orders  of  priests.  The  whole  combination  of 
the  buildings  is  encircled  by  a  cjuadrilateral  pilastered  portico, 
embracing  a  (juadrajignlar  area,  and  resting  on  a  terraced  plat- 
form. This  platform  exhibits  the  same  architectural  model, 
which  we  have  described  as  characterizing  the  single  temples. 
It  is  composed  of  three  graduated  stuccoed  terraces,  sloping  in- 
wards, at  an  angle  of  about  seventy  degrees,  in  the  form  of  a 
truncated  pyramid.  Four  central  staircases,  (one  facing  each 
of  the  cardinal  points,)  ascend  these  terraces  in  the  middle  of 
each  lateral  facade  of  the  quadrangle  ;  and  four  gates  fronting 
the  same  cardinal  points,  conduct  from  the  top  of  eaclf'^tair- 
case  into  the  body  of  the  buikling,  or  into  the  great  court.  The 
great  entrance,  through  a  pilastered  gateway,  fronts  the  east, 
and  descends  by  a  second  llight  of  steps  into  the  cloister- 
ed court.  On  the  various  pilasters  of  the  upper  terrace  are 
the  metopes,  with  singular  sculptures.  On  descending  the 
second  staircase  into  the  cloistered  court,  on  one  side,  appears 
the  tri[)le  pyraniidiil  tower,  which  may  be  inferred,  from  the 
curious  distribution  of  little  cells  which  surround  the  central 
room  of  each  story,  to  have  been  employed  as  a  place  of  royal 
or  private  sej)ulture.  It  would  be  pronounced  a  striking  and 
tasteful  structure,  accordinu   to  any   architccturai  rule.      On 


!     I 


another  side  of  llic  same  clois^lered  couil,  is  llie  detached  tem- 
ple of  the  chief  god,  1o  whom  the  whole  religious  huikhng  ap- 
pears to  iuive  heen  devoted,  who  ajipears  to  have  been  the  great 
and  only  Giod  of  the  nalions  who  worshipped  in  this  tem- 
ple. Bonealh  the  cloisters,  entered  by  staircases  from  above, 
are  what  we  believe  to  be  the  initiatory  galleries.  These 
opened  into  rooms,  one  of  which  has  a  stone  couch  in  it,  and 
others  are  distinguished  by  unintelligible  apparatus  carved  in 
stone.  The  only  symbol  described  as  found  within  these 
sacred  haunts  is,  however,  perfectly  Asiatic  and  perfectly  in- 
telligible ;  we  mean  two  contending  serpents.  The  remnant 
of  an  altar,  or  high  place,  occupies  the  centre  of  the  cloistered 
(luadrangle.  The  rest  of  the  edifice  is  taken  up  with  courts, 
palaces,  detached  temples,  open  divans,  baths,  and  streets  of 
priestly  cells,  or  houses,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  dilapida 
tion."  *  *  *  "  It  is  perfectly  clear  from  the  few  records  of  their 
religious  rites,  which  have  come  down  to  us,  and  which  are 
principally  derived  from  the  extraordinary  rolls  of  American 
papyrus,*  on  which  their  beautiful  hicroglyphical  system  is 
preserved,  (there  is  one  of  considerable  extent  in  the  Dresden 
museum,)  that  they  were  as  simple,  perhaps  we  may  add  with 
propriety,  as  innocent.  Not  only  does  i*  appear  that  they  had 
no  human  sacrifices,  but  no  animal  sacrifices  whatever.  Flowers 
and  fruits  were  tlie  only  oil'erings  made  to  the  presiding  divinity 
of  their  temples." 

But,  who  were  the  Tultequans  and  Azeteques,  the  founders 
of  this  empire  in  America  ;  who  built  the  pyramids  of  Cholula 
and  city  of  Palenque  ?     JV'.y.  /'  3  Jews. 

Here  we  have  a  most  singular  diversion,  from  the  path 
on  which  we  originally   set   out — another  extraordinary  dis- 

*  Formed  of  the  i);Tj)art'd  iihrcs  of  the  INIaj^ucry. 


4 


', 


» 


25 


[:overy,    luuiked  tou,    by    events   no    leas   exiruordiimiy    tliuii 


anuizin^. 


Tliey  were  the  Canaaiiiles,  llie  sciiptuml  Titaii;^,  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  sacred  historian,  bnilt  cities  with  walls  and 
towers  caching  to  the  heavens.  The  builders  of  the  tower  of 
Babel,  the  family  of  the  shepherd  kings  who  conquered  Egypt, 
and  built  the  pyramids,  and  were  driven  from  Syria  by  Joshua. 
The  men,  who  Ihially  founded  Tyre  and  Carthage,  navigated 
round  the  continent  of  Africa,  and  sailed  in  theit  small  craft 
across  the  Atlantic,  and  landed  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  Plice)ucinns  were  the  founders  of  Palenque,  Mitlan, 
Papanthi,  Quemada,  Cholula,  Chila  and  Antiqnerra. 

AVhen  I  studied  the  history  of  these  people,  on  the  ruins  of 
Carthage,  it  svas  said  by  anti(iuarians  present,  that  the  Cartha- 
genians  had  a  colony  at  a  considerable  distance,  which  they 
secretly  maintained  ;  and  when  1  was  at  Tangiers,  the  Mauri- 
tania Tangitania  of  the  ancients,  I  was  shown  the  spot  where 
the  pillar  was  erected,  and  was  standing  in  the  time  of  Ibnn, 
the  Moorish  historian,  on  which  was  inscribed,  in  the  PluBnician 

language "We  arc  the  Canaanites  who  lied  from  Joshua, 

the  son  of  Nun,  that  notorious  robber."  From  that  spot,  then  . . . 
the  pillars  of  Hercules,  now  known  as  the  straits  of  Gibraltar, 
they  crossed  to  our  continent,  and  founded  a  great  empire  of  the 
Ophite  worship,  with  Syrian  and  Egyptian  symbols.  Now, 
mark  the  issue.  Fifteen  hundred  years  after  the  expulsion  of 
the  Canaanites  by  Joshua,  the  ten  tribes  pass  over  the  straits 
a  of  Hehring  to  the  conlinonl  of  America,  and  poured  down  upon 

these  people  like  the  Goths  iind  Vandals.  The  descendants 
of  Joshua  a  second  time  fell  on  the  Canaanites  on  another 
continent,  knowing  them  well  as  such,  and  barn  their  temples, 
and  destroy  their  gigantic  towers  and  cities. 

When  Colmnbu?  discovered  America,  he  found  an  iimocent 

4 


J 


!  ' 


■J      '  J ; 

f  •      ■  '< 


S6 

people  in  a  deuii-savage  btale,  willi  Jewish  truditious,  and  the 
only  reference  to  early  times  was  a  vague  impression,  that  the 
ruins  tliey  saw  were  built  by  giants,  and  a  people  called  wan- 
dering masons. 

I  have  the  most  settled  conviction  of  this  theory.  The  mag- 
nificent ruins  which  are  to  l)e  seen  at  this  day  in  Mexico  and 
Central  America,  were  the  works  of  the  Phcenicians,  and  the 
irruption  of  the  wandering  tribes  from  the  north-west  coast  of 
America,  swept  that  nation  away,  and  have  ever  since  main- 
tained possession  of  this  country,  until  white  men  have  thinned 
their  ranks,  and  gradually  encroached  upon,  and  usurped  a 
great  part  of  their  territory. 

The  only  opposition  made  to  the  general  declaration  of  tra- 
vellers, that  the  Indians  are  of  Jewish  descent,  is,  that  they  are 
red  men,  and  are  beardless.  Now,  take  the  olive  complexion 
of  the  Jews  in  Syria,  pass  the  nation  over  the  Euphrates  into 
a  warmer  climate,  let  them  mingle  with  Tartars  and  Chinese, 
and  after  several  generations  reach  this  continent,  their  com- 
plexion would  undergo  some  shades  of  hue  and  colour  ;  and  as 
to  beards  they  cannot  grow  while  they  are  continually  plucked, 
as  is  the  Indian  custom.  The  colour  proves  noihing  against 
their  origin.  Take  our  fellow-citizens  on  our  eastern  borders, 
and  compare  their  florid  colour  with  the  sickly  hue  and  sallow 
complexions  of  those  living  on  the  southern  shores,  in  the 
palmettoes  and  everglades,  and  we  shall  see  a  marked  distinc- 
tion, and  yet  they  are  members  of  the  same  family. 

Du  Pralz,  speaking  of  the  tra^litions  of  the  Natches  tribe, 
relates,  that  in  answer  to  the  question,  "  whence  come  you?" 
their  reply  was,  "  All  that  wc  know  is  that  our  fathers,  to  come 
hither,  followed  the  sun,  and  came  from  the  place  where  he 
rises.  They  were  long  in  their  journey,  they  were  nearly  perish- 
ing, and  were  brought  to  thi^  wilderness  of  the  sun  setting 


i 


I 


27 


( 


^ 


without  seeking'  it."  .Suiiard  sayss  of  tlio  luiliixns  of  Suiitiam, 
on  the  authority  of  Nasci,  a  learned  Jew  lesidiiijjf  there,  that  the 
dialect  of  tliose  Indians  common  in  Guinana  is  soft,  aj;reeable 
and  regular,  and  their  sub^^tantives  arc  Hel)ro\v.  Their  lan- 
guage, in  the  roots,  idioms,  and  particular  construction,  has  the 
genius  of  tlic  Hebrew  language,  as  their  orations  have  the  bold, 
laconic  and  figurative  style  of  the  Hebrew  prophets." 

The  Rev.  Mr,  Chapman  says  of  the  Osages,  "it  is  their  uni- 
versal practice  to  salute  the  dawn  of  every  morning  with  their 
devotion."     A  custom  always  prevailing  among  pious  Jews. 

Malvenda  and  Acosta  both  af!irm,  that  the  natives  had  a  tra- 
dition of  a  jul)ilee,  according  to  the  jubilee  of  Israel. 

Dr.  Beatty,  in  speaking  of  the  festival  of  the  fust-fruits  by  the 
Indians  west  of  the  Ohio,  says,  "  at  this  ceremony  twelve,  of  their 
old  men  divide  a  deer  into  twelve  parts,  and  these  men  hold  up 
the  venison  and  fruits  with  their  faces  to  the  cast,  acknowledg- 
ing the  boiuily  of  God  to  them.  A  singular  and  close  imitation 
of  the  ceremonies  and  sacritioes  of  the  temple."  The  doctor 
further  says,  *'  they  have  another  feast  which  looks  like  the 
Passover." 

Sir  Alexander  MacKenzic,  iti  his  tour  to  the  north-west  coast, 
says,  that  "  the  Chepcwyan  Indians  have  a  tradition  among 
them,  that  they  originally  came  from  another  country,  inhabited 
by  very  v/icked  people,  and  had  traversed  a  great  lake  which 
was  in  one  ])lace  narrow  and  shallow,  and  full  of  islands,  where 
they  had  sun'ercd  great  misery;  and  a  further  tradition  has  it 
that  nine  parts  of  their  nation  o\it  often,  passed  over  the  river. 
The  Mexicans  affirm,  that  seven  tribes  nr  houses  passed  from 
the  east  to  the  wilderness," 

Beltrami  says,  that  the  skeletons  of  the  mammoths  found 
in  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  and  other  parts  of  America,  have 
been  ascertained  to  resemble  precisely  those  which  have  been 


28 

foMnd  in  Siberia  and  I  ho  casJern  part  ol  Asia,  showing  the 
facility  of  communication  between  the  two  coasts.  And  here  it 
may  be  well  to  state  a  fact,  which  is  strongly  corroborative  of 
the  view  wo  have  taken,  not  only  of  the  possibility  of  passing 
from  one  continent  to  trie  other,  but  of  the  actual  and  probably 
constant  commmiication  between  them.  Charlevoix,  says  he, 
knew  a  Catholic  priest,  called  Father  Grillou,  in  Canada,  who 
was  recalled  to  Paris  after  his  mission  had  been  ended,  and  who 
was  snbserpiently  appointed  to  a  similar  mission  in  China. 
One  day  in  Tartary,  he  suddenly  encountered  a  Huron  woman 
with  whom  he  liad  been  well  acquainted  in  Canada,  and  who 
informed  him  that  she  had  been  captured,  and  passed  from 
nation  to  nation,  until  she  reached  the  north-west  coast,  when 
she  crossed  into  Tartary. 

Since  delivering  the  present  lecture,  I  have  received  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Catlin,  the  celebrated  painter,  who  for  tlie  last  five 
years  has  been  residing  among  the  Indians.     Mr.  Catlin  says, 


ill 


"The  first  thing  that  strikes  the  traveller  in  an  Indian  country 
as  evidence  of  their  being  of  Jewish  origin,  (and  it  is  certainly 
a  very  forcible  one,)  is  the  striking  resemblance  which  they  gen- 
erally bear  in  contour,  and  expression  of  head,  to  those  people. 
In  their  modes  and  customs,  there  arc  many  striking  resem- 
blances, and  perhaps  as  proof,  they  go  nuich  further  than  mere 
personal  resemblance.  Amongst  those  customs,  I  shall  mention 
several  that  have  attracted  my  attention,  though  probably  they 
have  never  before  been  used  for  the  same  purpose  ;  and  others  I 
may  name,  which  are  familiar  to  you,  and  which  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  mention,  as  I  hnve  seen  them  practised  while  in  their 
country. 

"  The  universtd  custom  among  them  of  burying  their  dead 
with  feet  to  the  east,  I  could  conceive  to  have  no  other  meaning 


29 


or  object  tliim  a  joiuney  to  the  east  after  death — like  the  Jews, 
who  expected  to  travel  under  ground  after  death  to  the  land  of 
Canaan.  On  inquiry,  I  found  that  thougl)  they  were  nil  going 
towards  the  'setting  sun,'  during  their  lifetinico,  Ihey  ex- 
pected to  travel  to  the  east  after  death. 

"  Amongst  the  tribes,  the  women  are  not  allowed  to  enter  the 

medicine   lodge.     As  they  were  not  allowed  in  Judea  to  enter 

•  the  court  of  Israel.     Like  the  Jewish  custom  also,  they  are  not 

allowed  to  mingle  in  worship  with  the  men,  and  at  meals,  are 

always  separated. 

"  In  their  modes,  fastings,  feastings,  or  sacrifices,  they  have 
also  a  most  striking  resemblance.  Amongst  all  the  western 
tribes,  who  have  not  been  persuaded  from  those  forms  by  white 
men,  they  arc  still  found  scrupulously  and  religiously  adhering 
to,  and  practising  them  to  the  letter.  The  very  many  times 
and  modes  of  sacrificing,  remind  us  forcibly  of  the  customs  of 
the  Israelites  ;  and  the  one  in  particular,  which  has  been  seen 
amongst  several  of  the  tribes,  though  I  did  not  witness  it  myself, 
wherein,  like  the  manner  of  the  '  peace  -onering,'  the  firstling 
and  that  of  the  male  is  oilered,  and  'no  hone  is  to  be  broken.^ 
Such  circumstances  alTord  -the  strongest  kind  of  proofs.  All 
the  tribes  have  a  great  feast  at  the  dawn  of  spring,  and  at  those 
feasts  their  various  sacrifices  are  made.  At  the  approach  of 
the  season  of  green  corn,  a  feast  of  the  first  ears  are  sacrificed, 
with  great  solenmity,  followed  by  feasting  and  dancing:  so  at 
the  ripening  of  difierent  Iciuds  of  fruit.  The  first  and  best  piece 
that  is  cut  from  a  buffali)  is  always  Deo  Dante. 

*'  Over  the  medicine  hidge,  and  also  over  the  lodges  of  the 
most  disiuiguished  chiefs,  are  hung  on  high  poles  large  quan- 
tities of  fine  cloth,  white  bufii'alo  robes,  or  other  most  costly  arti- 
cles which  can  be  procured,  there  to  decay,  an  offering  to  the 
Great  Spirit. 


30 

"The  buiicli  ol  willow  boughs  with  whirls  each  dancer  in 
supphed,  in  the  Mandan  religious  ceremonies,  the  sacrificing  and 
otlier  forms  therein  observed,  certainly  render  it  somewhat  ann- 
lagouji  to  the  Israelitish  feast  of  tabernacles. 

"  The  universal  practice  of '  solus  cum  so/a'  of  the  women, 
ablutio'i  and  anointing  with  bear's  grease,  is  strikingly  similar 
to  the  Jewish  custom.  Every  family  has  a  small  lodge  expressly 
for  this  purpose,  and  when  any  one  of  the  family  are  ready  for 
it,  it  is  erected  within  a  few  rods,  and  meat  is  carried  to  her. 
where  she  dwells,  and  cooks  and  eats  by  herself,  an  object  of 
s'.jpersfiiious  dread  to  every  person  in  (he  village. 

"  The  absence  of  every  species  of  idolatry  amongst  the  North 
American  Indians,  alTords  also  a  striking  proof  of  the  ceremonial 
law,  and  stamps  them  at  once,  in  one  respect,  at  all  -.vents,  differ- 
ing from  all  otjiersavasje  tribes  of  which  we  have  any  knowledjie." 


What  are,  I  may  ask,  the  characters  of  these  people  1  On  the 
discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  nearly  2000  years  after  the 
dispersion  of  the  Hebrew  tribes,  the  whole  continent  is  found 
peopled,  not  with  a  race  of  wild  men,  of  cannibals,  of  savages, 
but  with  a  race  of  intellectual,  moral,  innocent  persons,  divided 
into  many  hundred  nations,  and  spread  over  8000  miles  of  terri- 
tory. "  I  swear  to  your  majesties,"  said  Columbus,  writing  to  Fer- 
dinand and  Isabella,  "  that  there  is  not  a  better  people  in  the 
world  than  these  ;  more  alTectionate  or  mild.  They  love  their 
neighbours  as  theTiselves ;  their  language  is  the  sweetest,  the 
softest  and  the  most  cheerful,  for  they  always  speak  smilingly." 
Major  Long  says,  *'  they  are  the  genuine  sons  of  nature  ;  they 
have  all  the  v  rtues  nature  can  give,  without  the  vices  of  civili- 
zation. They  are  artless,  fearless,  and  live  in  constant  exercise 
of  moral  and  christian  virtues,  though  they  know  it  not," 

Charlevoix  gives  his   testimony   in   their  behalf.     "They 


31 


manifest,"  says  he,  "  much  stabihiy  in  their  cngiigemenls,  pa- 
tience ill  ailliction,  and  subnuBdive  acquiescence  what  they 
apprehend  the  will  of  Providence.  In  all  this,  they  display  a 
nobleness  of  soul  and  constancy  of  mind,  at  which  we  rarely 
arrive,  with  all  our  philosophy  and  religion." 

Du  Pratz  contends,  that  they  have  a  greater  degree  of  pru- 
dence, faithfulness  and  generosity,  than  those  who  would  be 
ollended  with  a  comparison  with  them.  "  No  people,"  says  he, 
'*  are  more  hospitable  and  frcn.-." 

Rartram,  who  lived  many  years  in  the  Creek  nation,  says, 
"Joy,  contentment,  love  and  friendship  without  guile  or  affec- 
tation, seem  inherent  in  them,  or  predominant  in  I  heir  vital  prin- 
ciple, for  it  leaves  them  but  with  their  breath.  They  are,"  says 
he,  "just,  honest,  liberal  and  liospitablc  to  strangers;  conside- 
rate and  allectionate  to  their  wives,  children  and  relations; 
frugal  and  persevering,  charitable  and  forbearing." 

Wlio  are  they  ?  Men  do  not  grow  up  like  stones  or  trees  or 
rocks ;  they  are  not  found  in  herds  like  wild  animals.  God 
that  made  man  in  his  own  image,  gave  to  the  Indians  an  origin 
and  parentage,  like  unto  (he  rest  of  the  great  family  of  mankind, 
the  work  of  his  own  almighty  hand.  From  whom  then  did 
our  red  brethren,  the  rightful  owners  of  this  continent,  descend  ? 

There  seeins  to  be  no  difl'erence  of  opinion  that  they  are  of 
Asiatic  origin,  and  not  indigenous  to  our  soil.  Nearly  all  wri- 
ters and  historians  concur  on  this  point — they  are  Asiatic — they 
crossed  to  the  continent  of  America  from  Asia ;  but  who  are 
they,  and  from  whom  have  they  descended  ? 

Eldad,  who  wrote  learnedly  of  the  twelve  tribes,  in  1300, 
contends,  that  the  tribe  of  Dan  went  into  Ethiopia,  and  pretends 
that  the  tribes  of  Naphtali,  Gad  and  Asher  followed.  That 
they  had  a  king  of  their  own,  and  could  muster  120,000  horse 
and  100,000  foot.     In  relation  to   part   of  these  three  tribes, 


sa 


I  here  miglit  Imve  been  hoiuc  truth  in  it,  (or  Tiglcth  PeUeser  did 
compel  them  to  go  into  Ethiopiii.  I<s;icliur,  he  contends,  re- 
Miiiiiud  with  the  Modes  and  Persjiiiiisi.  Zcbulon  extended  from 
the  n)uuntnins  of  IMiaran  to  the  Euphrates,  lleuhen  dwelt 
behind  Pliaran,  Jiiid  spoke  Arabic.  Ephruini  and  hull'  Ma- 
nasseh  were  thrown  on  the  soulheni  coast.  Benjandn  of  Tu- 
delu  places  Dan,  Asher,  Naphlali  and  Zebuloii  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  Gozan.  In  the  juidst  of  all  these  contradictory  and 
vague  statements,  two  opinions  prevail  among  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians, in  early  and  in  late  periods.  One  is,  that  the  ten  tribes 
went  into  Tarttuy,  where  they  remained  ;  the  other,  thai  from 
Tartary  they  penetrated  iulo  America. 

Manasseh  Heii  Israel,  the  most  learned  of  the  nation,  declnres 
that  they  passed  into  America.  Lescarbol  believes,  that  the 
Indians  are  the  posterity  of  Ham,  expelled  by  Joshua,  and  who 
passed  out  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  were  driven  by  storms  to  the 
American  coast.  Grotius  contends,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  new 
world  were  originally  from  Greenland ;  and  vvhilf^  Hasnage  frank- 
ly admits,  that  manifest  tracts  of  Judaism  are  lo  b3  found  in 
America,  he  contends,  that  the  tribes  could  not  have  overcome  the 
warlike  Scythians  and  penetrated  to  this  continent,  and  that  they 
remained  in  Halak  and  Heber,  and  in  the  cities  of  the  Medes. 

Truth,  no  doubt,  lies  between  these  opinions.  Many  of  the 
tribes  passed  into  Egypt  and  Ethiopia,  many  remained  in  Per- 
sia and  Tartary,  all  did  not  make  for  the  north-west  coast,  nor 
was  it  necessary  that  all  should  do  so.  There  were  degrees  of 
piety  and  condition  then  as  now.  Restore  Jerusalem  to-morrow, 
iuid  all  the  Jews  will  not  return  there.  Rabbi  Akiba  contends, 
that  all  the  noble  families  remained  in  Persia.  A  number,  u 
considerable  number,  no  doubt,  impressed  with  the  solemn  be- 
lief, that  if  they  remained  in  Persia,  they  would  in  time  become 
idolators,  ;uid  lose  all  the  landmarks  of  (heir  ancient  faith,  re- 


". 


33 

solved,  like  (liosc!  who  went  oiil  of  Kirypf,  to  remain  no  Ioniser  in 
bondafjo,  and,  iis  Ksdrnsn  snys,  iliey  dep.'uird  Cor  a  country 
"wlieirin  mankind  inner  Ixilorr  liad  dwell" — mid  I'le  rooln- 
lion  was  perfectly  feasible.  It  w;i>!i  thickly  popnintcd  comitry, 
and  hy  kcepinii  on  the.  hordi'is  of  China,  they  would,  within  the 
time  prescribed,  namely  oiLrlitoiMi  months,  have  reached  cm- 
continent.  At  (his  day,  tlicre  \-  a  constant  intercoiirse  between 
the  continents,  and  a  iii|)  to  the  llocky  mountains,  once  ho  terri- 
fyinsr,  is  now  a  mere  snnnner's  juiirney. 

If  the  Indians  of  America  are  not  the  descendants  of  the 
missini;'  tril)es,  auain  1  ask,  Iroin  whom  arr  they  descended  ? 
From  the  l'^i:ypiiaiis  ?  Wherein  in  th<Mr  lielief,  is  there  the 
least  resemblance  to  the  worsliip  of  Isis  and  Osiris,  or  the  hiero- 
ghy|)hics  or  historical  reminisceiic(!s  of  that  very  ancient  people  ? 
Are  they  [)arl  of  the  lierce.  l^cytliians?  Their  warlike  propen- 
siiies  would  prove  them  to  Ite  so;  but  where  among  those  bar- 
barians do  we  discover  the  l)clief  in  one  Great  S|)irit,  toj^ether 
with  the  softer  virtues,  the  purity  and  talents  of  the  Indians? 
Art*  they  of  the  Tartar  race  1  Their  complexion,  "  the  shadowed 
livery  of  the  burning  sun,"  tuij^ht  be  olfcred  in  evidence  ;  but 
they  have  not  the  Hat  head,  the  angular  and  twinkling  eye, 
nor  the  diminutive  figure  of  the  Chinese  or  Tartars. 

The  Indians  have  distinct  .Icwisli  features,  and  neither  in 
mind,  manners,  nor  religion,  bear  any  allinity  to  the  Tartar 
race.  I  have  endeavoured  to  show  this  by  their  traditions,  by 
their  religion,  by  their  ceremonies,  which  retain  so  much  or  the 
ancient  worship.  Hut  there  is  one  proof  more,  which,  in  my 
mind,  removes  all  doubt.  Sir  Alexander  MacKenzie,  in  his 
journal  of  a  tour  to  the  north-west  continent  of  America,  declares 
from  his  own  observation,  that  the  Chippewa  Indians  practise 
circumcit'ion,  which  fact  is  C()rrol)orated  by  several  other  tra- 
vellers amonsfst  the  various  tril)es. 


84 

It  will  scarcely  be  necessary  for  me  (o  refer  you  to  tlie  man> 
prophetic  Wiirniiij^s  relative  to  the  sins,  the  (leiuiiiciiitioiiH,  the 
promises,  the  ilispcrHioit  and  redemption  of  the  Jewish  piropU;, 
which  we  find  thronijhout  the-  liihlc.  With  that  Rood  hook 
you  nil  lire  or  should  he  fiimilinr — it  is  a  delightful  hook,  vitiw 
it  in  any  manner  you  please.  Let  the  unhelievcr  sneer  and  the 
philosopher  douht,  it  in  certain  that  the  most  im|)ortant  events 
predicted  hy  the  prophets  have  come  to  pass,  giving  an  assurance 
which  is  stripped  of  all  doubt,  that  what  remains  to  be  fulfilled, 
10*7/  be  fulfilled.  In  what  direction  are  we  to  look  for  the  mies- 
iuff  tribes  according  to  the  prophets  ?  From  Jeremiah  we 
learn  that  they  arc  to  come  from  a  coiuUry  north  and  west 
from  Judea.  From  Isaiah,  *'  it  is  a  country  far  from  Juden," 
and  answering  also  "  from  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

In  Zcchariah  we  are  told,  it  nuist  he  in  the  western  regions, 
or  the  country  of  the  going  down  of  the  sun  ;  and  according  to 
the  historian  Esdrass,  it  must  be  a  land  wherein  maidvind  never 
before  had  dwelt,  and  of  course,  free  from  the  residence  of  the 
heathen. 

Our  prophet  Isaiah  has  a  noble  reference  to  the  dispersed 
tribes  and  their  redemption,  which  may  be  here  appropriately 
ipioted,  I  use  his  language,  the  Hebrew,  which  from  its  peculiar 
associations  should  be  always  interesting  to  you. 

•)K^"-n^  niipS  IT  Wnp  ♦n^?  fi*DV  Nirirr  di;?  ,tiii 
D^i^S  bi  Nirj')  :  D\i  '^koi  nbnai  Sr:tJ'Di  oS^roi 

<T   T  :  IT-      '-••   •    I"  T    -:   -!••  T     :    •      •  <>  -f!  '(!f  ' 

r?."i«D  pp;  r^y\r^\  ni^^^i  '^J^.lt^'!  '51^  ^^pNi 
^t!'>?  sm  nxrS  n^DD  nn»ni  :'r"i>5n  nifliD 

})■;   —■  -  ■'■'•.•  T  •    :  jt:  IT  I     ...  |t  t  if- 

)nh^  D10  Sj^'ntr^S  nn^n  ncND  iit^'ND  iKtr* 

>•       *:  I:  ••    T  ;    •    :  t  :  it         *v    -:  i-  "^  Vp  (."t    ■ 


35 


"  Ami  ii  nliall  come  lo  pass  in  lliat  day,  iliiU  tho  Lord  i^ihall 
set,  his  hand  tli«i  second  liiiio  to  recoviM-  (he  remnaiit  oC  his  peo|)h>, 
whicli  shall  l>t;  if(l  from  AHsyriti,  jiiid  IVoni  lyi?ypt,  and  from 
Pttthros,  and  from  (Jush,  and  from  Mlam,  and  from  Shinur,  ami 
from  naiuiilh,  and  from  lliu  islands  of  the  Hca. 

"  And  h«;  shall  sot  np  lui  cnsi|j[n  for  tho  naliona,  and  shall 
a8fjend)lc  the  outcasts  of  Inracl,  and  gather  tofrother  the  dis- 
|)ersed  of  .ludah,  from  the  four  corners  of  the  earth. 

"And  there  shall  be  a  hiifhway,  for  the  renmant  of  his 
people,  which  shall  be  left  from  Assyria,  like  as  it  was  to  Israel, 
in  the  day  that  he  came  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt." 

May  I  not  with  propriety  refer,  among  other  evidences,  to 
the  cruel  persecutions  which  have  uniformly  been  practised 
towards  the  Indians  of  this  continent,  not  unlike  those  which 
the  chosen  people  have  sullered  for  the  last  eighteen  centuries  ? 

"  What  makes  you  so  melancholy  1"  said  General  Knox  to 
the  chief  of  an  Indian  deputation,  that  he  was  entertaining  in 
this  city,  at  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war.  '*  I'll  tell  you, 
brother,"  said  the  aged  chief;  "  I  have  been  looking  at  your 
beautiful  city — the  great  water  full  of  .  .ips — the  fine  country, 
and  see  how  prosperous  you  all  arc.  Hut  then,  I  could  not 
help  thinking,  that  this  fine  country  loas  ours.  Our  ancestors 
lived  here.  They  enjoyed  it  as  their  own  in  peace.  It  icas  the 
^}Jt  of  the  Great  Spirit  to  tlicm,  and  their  children.  At  last,  white 
men  came  in  a  great  canoe.  They  only  asked  to  let  them  tie 
it  to  a  tree,  lest  the  water  should  carry  it  away.  We  consented. 
They  then  said  some  of  their  people  were  sick,  and  they  asked 
permission  to  land  them,  and  put  them  under  the  shade  of  the 
trees.  The  ice  (hen  came  and  they  coidd  not  go  away.  They 
(hen  begged  a  piece  of  land  to  l)uild  wigwams  for  the  winter. 
We  granted  it  (o  them.  They  then  asked  corn  to  keep  them 
from  starving.     We  furnished  it  out  of  our  own  scanty  supply. 


36 

They  promised  to  go  ;i.\Viiy  wiieii  the  ire  melieil.  When  this 
happened,  they,  instead  ol  yoiny-,  pointed  to  the  big  guns  round 
the  wigwams  and  .-Hiid,  '  we  shall  stay  Iiere.'  Afterwards  came 
more:  they  brought  inluxicating  drinks,  of  wiiicli  the  Indians 
became  fond.  They  [)ersuaded  them  to  sell  their  land,  and, 
finally,  liave  driven  us  back,  from  lime  to  time,  to  the  wilderness, 
far  from  the  water,  the  lish,  and  tiie  oysters.  They  have  scared 
away  our  game — my  peo[)le  are  wasting  away.  We  live  in 
the  v.ant  of  all  things,  while  you  are  enjoying  abimdance  in 
our  fine  and  beautiful  country.  This  makes  me  sorry,  brother, 
and  I  cannot  help  it." 

These  persecutions  and  repealed  acts  of  cruelty  and  injustice 
appear  to  have  no  termination — the  work  of  destruction,  com- 
menced with  the  NarragansetLs,  will  extend  to  the  Seminoles, 
and  gradually  to  the  blue  waters  of  the  Pacific.  Look  even 
now  at  the  contest  maintained  by  a  handful  of  Indians  in  the 
everglades  of  Florida.  Do  they  war  against  unequal  numbers 
for  a  crown — for  a  part  of  that  immense  surplus  which  overflows 
from  the  coflers  of  a  country,  which  was  once  tlu;ir  own?  No — 
they  fight  for  the  privilege  of  dying  where  (he  bunes  of  their 
ancestors  lie  buried,  and  yet  we.  Christians  as  we  call  ourselves, 
deny  them  that  boon,  and  drive  the  lords  of  (he  soil  into  the  den 
of  the  otter. 

In  referring  to  the  sj)lendid  specimens  of  Indian  oratory, 
where,  I  would  ask,  can  you  find  such  u'isdom,  such  lofty  and 
pure  eloquence,  among  the  Chinese  and  Tartars,  even  at  this 
day  1 

The  Indians,  like  the  Hebrews,  speak  in  parables.  Of  their 
dialects,  there  is  no  doubt,  that  the  Algon(|uin  and  Huron  are 
the  parents  of  five  himdred  Indian  tongues — they  are  copious, 
rich, regular, forcible  and  comprehensive;  and  although  here  and 
there  strong  Hebrew  analogies  may  be  found,  yet  it  is  reason- 


r 


i» 


1* 


37 

able  to  suppose,  l.liai  the  Iiidiiui  languages  aio  a  conipouud  of 
all  those  toiiGfues  bcloiijriii"'  to  the  various  Asialic  nations, 
through  which  they  passed  during  their  pilgrimage. 

Firmly  as  I  helieve  the  American  Indian  to  have  been  de- 
scended from  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  that  our  continent  is  full 
of  the  most  extraordinary  vestiges  of  antiquity,  there  is  one 
point,  a  religious  as  well  as  a  historical  point,  in  which  you  may 
possibly  continue  to  doubt,  anudst  almost  convincing  evidences. 

If  these  are  the  renmants  of  the  nine  and  a  half  tribes  which 
were  carried  into  Assyria,  and  if  we  are  to  believe  in  all  the 
promises  of  the  restoration,  and  the  fulfdment  of  the  prophecies, 
respecting  the  linal  advent  of  the  Jewish  nation,  what  is  to 
become  of  these  our  red  brethren,  whom  we  are  driving  before 
us  so  rapidly,  that  a  century  more  will  find  them  lingering  on 
the  borders  of  the  Pacific  ocean  1 

Possibly,  the  restoration  may  be  near  enough  to  include  even 
a  portion  of  these  interesting  people.  Our  learned  Rabbis 
have  always  deemed  it  sinful  to  compute  the  period  of  the 
restoration;  they  believe  that  when  the  sins  of  the  nation  were 
atoned  for,  the  miracle  of  their  redemption  would  be  manifested. 
My  faith  does  not  rest  wholly  in  miracles — Providence  disposes 
of  events,  human  agency  must  carry  them  out.  That  benign 
and  supreme  power  which  the  children  of  Israel  had  never  for- 
saken, has  protected  the  chosen  people  amidst  the  most  appall- 
ing dangers,  has  saved  them  from  the  uplifted  sword  of  the 
Egyptians,  the  Assyrians,  the  Medes,  the  Persians,  the  Greeks 
and  the  Ronuins,  and  wliile  the  most  powerful  nations  of  an- 
tiquity have  crumbled  to  j)ieces,  we  have  been  preserved,  united 
and  unbroken,  (he  same  now  as  we  were  in  the  days  of  the 
patriarchs — brought  froiu  darkness  to  light,  from  the  early  and 
rude  periods  of  learning  to  the  bright  reality  of  civilization,  of 
arts,  of  education  and  of  science. 


88 


The  Jewish  |)e()j)l('  iiiiisi  now  do  something  lor  tliemselves  ; 
they  nuisi.  move  onwiiid  lo  the  accompHshment  of  that  great 
event  long  foretold — long  promised — long  expected  ;  and  when 
tliey  DO  move,  that  mighty  jHiwer  which  has  for  thousands  of 
years  rebuked  the  proscription  and  intolerance  shown  to  the 
Jews,  by  a  benign  protection  of  the  whole  nation,  will  still  cover 
them  with  his  invincible  standard. 

My  belief  is,  that  Syria  will  revert  to  the  Jewish  nation  by 
purchase,  and  that  the  facilily  exhibited  in  the  accumulation  of 
wealth,  has  been  a  providential  and  peculiar  gift  to  enable  them, 
at  a  proper  time,  to  re-occupy  their  ancient  possessions  by  the 
purse-string  instead  of  the  sword. 

We  live  in  a  remarkable  age,  and  political  events  are  pro- 
ducing extraordinary  changes  among  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

Russia  with  its  gigantic  power  continues  to  press  hard  on 
Turkey.  The  Pacha  of  Egypt,  taking  advantage  of  the  im- 
provements and  inventions  of  men  of  genius,  is  extending  his 
territory  and  influence  to  the  straits  of  Babclmandel  on  the 
Red  sea,  and  to  the  borders  of  the  Russian  empire  ;  and  the 
combined  force  of  Russia,  Turkey,  Persia  and  Egypt,  seriously 
threaten  the  safety  of  British  possessions  in  the  East  Indies. 
An  intermediate  and  balancing  power  is  required  to  check  this 
thirst  of  conquest  and  territorial  possession,  and  to  keep  in 
check  the  advances  of  Russia  in  Turkey  and  Persia,  and  the 
ambition  and  love  of  conquest  of  Egypt.  This  can  be  done  by 
restoring  Syria  to  its  rightful  owners,  not  by  revolution  or  blood, 
but  as  I  have  said,  by  the  purchase  of  that  territory  from  the  Pa- 
cha of  Egypt,  for  a  sum  of  money  too  tempting  in  its  amount  for 
him  to  refuse,  in  the  present  reduced  state  of  his  coffers.  Twelve 
or  thirteen  millions  of  dollars  have  been  spoken  of  in  reference 
to  the  cession  of  that  interesting  territory,  a  sum  of  no  conside- 
ration to  the  Jews,  for  the  good  will  and  peaceable  pos.^ession 


39 

of  a  land,  vvliich  to  them  is  above  all  price.  Under  the  co- 
opeialion  and  piotcction  of  Eiigland  and  France,  this  re-occu- 
pation of  Syria  within  its  old  territorial  limits,  is  at  once  reasona- 
ble and  practicable. 

By  opening  the  ports  of  Damascus,  Tripoli,  Joppa,  Acre, 
&c.,  the  whole  of  the  connnerce  of  Turkey,  Egypt,  and  the 
Mediterranean  will  be  in  the  hands  of  those,  who  even  now  in 
part,  control  the  commerce  of  Europe.  From  the  Danube,  the 
Dneisler,  the  Ukraine,  Wallachia  and  Moldavia,  the  best  of 
agriculturalists  would  revive  the  former  fertility  of  Palestine. 
Manufacturers  from  Germany  and  Holland  ;  an  army  of  expe- 
rience and  bravery  from  France  and  Italy  ;  ingenuity,  intelli- 
gence, activity,  energy  and  enterprise  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  would,  under  a  just,  a  tolerant  and  a  liberal  government, 
present  a  formidable  barrier  to  the  encroachments  of  surroundinff 
powers,  and  be  a  bulwark  to  the  interests  of  England  and 
France,  as  well  as  the  rising  liberties  of  Greece. 

Once  again  unfurl  the  standard  of  Judah  on  Mount  Zion, 
the  four  corners  of  the  earth  will  give  up  the  chosen  people  as 
the  sea  will  give  up  its  dead,  at  the  sound  of  the  last  trumpet. 
Let  the  cry  be  Jerusalem,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  Saracen 
and  the  lion-hearted  Richard  of  England,  and  the  rags  and 
wretchedness  which  have  for  eighteen  centuries  enveloped  the 
persons  of  the  Jews,  crushed  as  they  were  by  persecution  and 
injustice,  will  fall  to  the  earth  ;  and  they  will  stand  forth,  the 
richest,  the  most  powerful,  the  most  intelligent  nation  on  the 
face  of  the  globe,  with  incalculable  wealth,  and  holding  iu 
pledge  the  crowns  and  sceptres  of  kings.  Placed  in  possession 
of  their  ancient  heritage  by  and  with  the  consent  and  co-opera- 
tion of  their  Christian  brethren,  establishing  a  government  of 
peace  and  good  will  on  earth,  it  may  then  be  said,  behold  the 
fidfilment  of  prediction  and  prophecy:  behold  the     '    sen  and 


40 

favoured  people  of  Almighty  God,  who,  hi  defence  of  his  unity 
and  omnipotence,  have  heen  fhe  outcast  and  proscribed  of  all 
nations,  and  who  for  thousands  of  yens  have  patiently  endured 
the  severest  of  human  sufferings,  in  the  hope  of  that  great 
advent  of  which  they  never  have  despaired  : — and  then  when 
taking  their  rank  once  more  among  the  nations  of  tlie  earth, 
with  the  good  wishes  and  allectionate  regards  of  the  great 
family  of  mankind,  they  may  by  their  tolerance,  their  good 
faith,  their  charity  and  enlarged  liberal  views,  merit  what  has 
been  said  in  their  behalf  by  inspired  writers,  "  Blessed  are  they 
who  bless  Israel." 


IfeS 


■ 


